The 18km free public Wi-Fi network in the city is all set for a major extension around a year after its launch.
The information technology department would create new extensions on three stretches - Patna Junction to Dakbungalow roundabout, Hartali Mor-Boring Road crossing-AN College and New Secretariat to Old Secretariat along Eco Park.
Sources claimed that once extended, the total length of the Wi-Fi network would be around 26km.
However, the extension work comes with certain riders for the Internet users. All kinds of video-streaming, including YouTube among others, have been prohibited on the Wi-Fi network. The Net use has also been restricted to maximum three hours in one go, against the existing 24-hour connectivity.
It means those using the network need to re-connect every three hours. At one go, only 3,000 users can use the network at one go. Earlier, the fresh entry to the network was required every 24 hours and those having accessed once rarely used to leave it before 24 hours forcing others to wait.
The upcoming overhaul of the Wi-Fi network is a brainchild of S. Siddhartha, the recently appointed principal secretary at the information technology department. Siddhartha, the only bureaucrat in the state who holds a PhD degree in information technology, claimed that the new measures are being taken to streamline and regulate use of the Wi-Fi network in the city.
'Based on our experience in running the Wi-Fi network over the past one year, it has been observed that it needs to be extended to several other busy thoroughfares apart from the existing corridor. Accordingly, it has been decided that we would create three new branches of the existing corridor,' said Siddhartha.
Total 80 access-points for 'free Wi-Fi zone of Patna' were created between National Institute of Technology, Patna, on Ashok Rajpath and Saguna Mor on the western end of Bailey Road between February and June last year. Bihar State Electronic Development Corporation Limited (Beltron) had been awarded the contract for installation of the corresponding equipment to Calcutta-based Benchmark Infotech Pvt. Ltd at an estimated cost of Rs 2.66 crore.
Sources claimed that the bandwidth under the city Wi-Fi project is 20mbps at present, which means that only around 100 people connected to it can surf the Net at a relative good speed. However, around 2,000-3,000 people connect to the network at any given time these days.
Heavy user-base apart, a recent review of the Net use on the Wi-Fi network has revealed that around 55 per cent of the data usage is related to video-streaming and movie downloads. The survey has also stated that the maximum users on this network are on Ashok Rajpath between NIT-Patna and Gandhi Maidan.
Siddhartha claimed that it is in order to keep a tab on the heavy user-base that restrictions on duration of connectivity and download limit are being imposed on the Wi-Fi network. 'The fundamental vision behind this free city Wi-Fi network was to promote internet use among residents for educational purposes. Though it is quite satisfactory for us that 45 per cent of total use of the Wi-Fi was for educational purposes we are still faced with 55 per cent unregulated use in terms of video-streaming and downloads, which are creating unnecessary pressure on the system,' he said.
As measure to regulate the 'unnecessary', Siddhartha proposed to impose a download limit of 50mb per user per day. Sources in Benchmark Infotech claimed that the proposed restriction would effectively reduce the congestion in the Wi-Fi network as having been observed till date.
